1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Wedding Band. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?” Wedding Band takes place in Summer of 1918, over the course of a weekend. They characters live in an unspecified “city by the sea” in the state of South Carolina. The characters inhabit a backyard with three houses constructed on it, which they rent out from the owner, Fanny. Mattie, her young daughter Teeta, Lula, her son Nelson, and Julia rent the house. They are all Black-Americans. The Bell man, Princess, Herman, Herman’s mother, Herman’s sister Annabelle, are white. The significance of the races of people provides the central conflict in the play. The dramatic situation that the characters find themselves in is reckoning with the fact that Julia, the new tenant, is in a committed relationship with a white man.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play? NOTE: Arguments might be made for several different points where stasis is broken. Be prepared to defend your point of view, if different from other students. The intrusion that interrupts the stasis in the play is the sudden illness of Herman, Julia’s for all intents and purposes, husband. I would also argue that Julia herself moving into the neighborhood was an intrusion as well, as her entrance in the area exacerbates racial tensions already present in the community.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place? The events of this place occur within this specific time frame because of the nature of the situation. At that time, more particularly in the South, JIm Crow reigned as measures taken against black people to relegate them second-class subjugated persons in the wake of the Civil War. Miscegeny and Racial mixing of any kind was considered taboo, and even more so, criminal. Also, the spread of the influenza virus in a time that preceded the flu vaccine devastated communities, regions, and countries around the world. The regional tensions due to World War 1 plays a part in the treatment that Herman’s family receives, as well as the overwhelming patriotism that his family must exude to combat the mistreatment that experience.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
Will Herman survive the flu?
Will Herman forsake his relationship with Julia for the approval of his family?
Will Julia move? Will Herman and Julia go to New York?
Will Julia forge a friendship with her tenants to combat her loneliness?
Will Herman’s family and Julia reconcile?
5. Use Julia to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken by that character. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual or individuals, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles in the play. Julia proves to a complex character, and her arc within the play demonstrates her grappling with the conflicts that she so often encountered. Julia wants to live a normal married life with her husband, Herman, as stated when she tells Lula of her relationship, just as well by her constant attempts at relocation in order to achieve some sort of serenity and peace of mind with her relationship whilst the world stands to preclude her from that. A certain type of obstacle that appears greatly within the play is the conflict of “Me vs. Society”, in that Julia’s wants, which is to live a happily married life, is disturbed by the fact that she cannot marry her partner as it is illegal to do so in the South. She must hide her husband, and relocate frequently in efforts to preserve some semblance of humanity considering the nature of her marriage. She balks at telling anyone of the nature of her relationship with Herman due to stigma and taboo attached with interracial relationships. In example, soon after telling Lula of her relationship, Lula told Mattie who eventually passively confronted her about its nature. Moreover, Nelson’s visible condemnation of her relationship further exemplified the pushback that Julia received due to the fact that she was in love with a white man. Another obstacle that Julia faced was “Me vs. Myself”. Certainly following the climax of the play and the fight that ensued between Julia and Herman’s mother, Julia came to regret condemn her own delf for feeling anything at all. Following the fight the next morning, Julia, wearing her wedding dress and drinking wine, said something to the effect of “It’s best not to have feelings”. She brings to harangue herself for putting herself in the compromising position to begin with. Moreover, while Julia only wants peace with her and her husband and realizes that moving North might be the only viable option to attain that, she is resentful of it as demonstrated in her fight with Herman when she states that her ancestors toiling and working the land for free made it her birthright. She feels that she should not have to move just because society feels that her relationship is invalid. And in a way she possess far too much dignity to lay down as society dictates how she can or cannot love.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Wedding Band. Herman falling ill and what unfolded after his family arrives would qualify as the most dramatic moment of the play. The manner in which Herman’s mother arrived and the hate that she radiated could be felt beyond the pages of the script. Her vocal condemnation of Julia as well as her refusal to send for a doctor in what could have been Herman’s final moments illustrate the chagrin that she possessed concerning Herman’s relationship. She would rather her son die than to be found out as a so-called “nigger-lover”. And this speaks volumes. The second dramatic moment of the play occurs in the fight that Herman and Julia have the next day. It reveals the profound love that they have for one another, as well as the blame that they each place on themselves for putting the other through their difficult situation. It highlights their differences and their disagreeances, but also emphasizes their similarities and their compatibility as they both only want the best for the other.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Wedding Band. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”) The image of the Wedding Band on the necklace directly applies to the title as it illustrates the love that the two have for each other, regardless of the society in which they live in. A wedding band represents the promise that spouses give to one another in the face of society, in the presence of God, of their devotion to one another. The fidelity that Herman and Julia have for one another is profound; for ten years they rejected the advances of others(Nelson to Julia, Celestine to Herman) out of love for one another. The wedding dress further illustrates the love that stands the test of time as Julia has had the dress for a considerable amount of time, illustrated by her hope that she has not outgrown it. Her matrimony is real, regardless of whether or not they have a piece of paper to show for it. The wedding cake that Herman made for his love for their ten year anniversary once more showcases the dedication that they have for one another. Herman is willing to confront Julia’s nosy neighbors in efforts to present it to her. This gesture, much like the wedding band that he gives to Julia, emphasizes the love and deep connection that Herman and Julia feel for one another.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Wedding Band. Loyalty, Pride, Matrimony, Love, Protection, Dignity, Race, Family, Hope, Strength, Courage
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Wedding Band? Perhaps you might argue for several different kinds of family in this particular play. What do you think? Family, as in familial allegiance plays a role in the play because the outward and unabashed disapproval that Herman’s family has towards his relationship alters the nature of his relationship with his family. Although he cares for them, as do they for him, the lack of acceptance that he receives from them weighs heavy on him as Julia is an important part of his life that he must shield away from them. It has caused a rift in his family as tensions, though clandestine, are still felt between his family and him. This proves a central conflict as he must ultimately reckon with whether or not he must display more loyalty to his relationship and JUlia, or his family. Family concerning race is also an issue in the play. Herman does not feel that he must have as much fidelity to his race, as the black people in the play do. From Fanny commenting that she must have a black husband, to Nelson condemning Julia for not marrying black, Julia must come to terms with the fact that her racial “family” disapproves of her relationship as well. Because of shared struggle she connect with her race on a deeper level than herman does, and therefore feels a bit beholden to them, for as much as she would hate to admit it, she doesn’t want to let them down.
Wedding Band takes place in Summer of 1918, over the course of a weekend. They characters live in an unspecified “city by the sea” in the state of South Carolina. The characters inhabit a backyard with three houses constructed on it, which they rent out from the owner, Fanny. Mattie, her young daughter Teeta, Lula, her son Nelson, and Julia rent the house. They are all Black-Americans. The Bell man, Princess, Herman, Herman’s mother, Herman’s sister Annabelle, are white. The significance of the races of people provides the central conflict in the play. The dramatic situation that the characters find themselves in is reckoning with the fact that Julia, the new tenant, is in a committed relationship with a white man.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play? NOTE: Arguments might be made for several different points where stasis is broken. Be prepared to defend your point of view, if different from other students.
The intrusion that interrupts the stasis in the play is the sudden illness of Herman, Julia’s for all intents and purposes, husband. I would also argue that Julia herself moving into the neighborhood was an intrusion as well, as her entrance in the area exacerbates racial tensions already present in the community.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The events of this place occur within this specific time frame because of the nature of the situation. At that time, more particularly in the South, JIm Crow reigned as measures taken against black people to relegate them second-class subjugated persons in the wake of the Civil War. Miscegeny and Racial mixing of any kind was considered taboo, and even more so, criminal. Also, the spread of the influenza virus in a time that preceded the flu vaccine devastated communities, regions, and countries around the world. The regional tensions due to World War 1 plays a part in the treatment that Herman’s family receives, as well as the overwhelming patriotism that his family must exude to combat the mistreatment that experience.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
5. Use Julia to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken by that character. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual or individuals, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles in the play.
Julia proves to a complex character, and her arc within the play demonstrates her grappling with the conflicts that she so often encountered. Julia wants to live a normal married life with her husband, Herman, as stated when she tells Lula of her relationship, just as well by her constant attempts at relocation in order to achieve some sort of serenity and peace of mind with her relationship whilst the world stands to preclude her from that. A certain type of obstacle that appears greatly within the play is the conflict of “Me vs. Society”, in that Julia’s wants, which is to live a happily married life, is disturbed by the fact that she cannot marry her partner as it is illegal to do so in the South. She must hide her husband, and relocate frequently in efforts to preserve some semblance of humanity considering the nature of her marriage. She balks at telling anyone of the nature of her relationship with Herman due to stigma and taboo attached with interracial relationships. In example, soon after telling Lula of her relationship, Lula told Mattie who eventually passively confronted her about its nature. Moreover, Nelson’s visible condemnation of her relationship further exemplified the pushback that Julia received due to the fact that she was in love with a white man. Another obstacle that Julia faced was “Me vs. Myself”. Certainly following the climax of the play and the fight that ensued between Julia and Herman’s mother, Julia came to regret condemn her own delf for feeling anything at all. Following the fight the next morning, Julia, wearing her wedding dress and drinking wine, said something to the effect of “It’s best not to have feelings”. She brings to harangue herself for putting herself in the compromising position to begin with. Moreover, while Julia only wants peace with her and her husband and realizes that moving North might be the only viable option to attain that, she is resentful of it as demonstrated in her fight with Herman when she states that her ancestors toiling and working the land for free made it her birthright. She feels that she should not have to move just because society feels that her relationship is invalid. And in a way she possess far too much dignity to lay down as society dictates how she can or cannot love.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Wedding Band.
Herman falling ill and what unfolded after his family arrives would qualify as the most dramatic moment of the play. The manner in which Herman’s mother arrived and the hate that she radiated could be felt beyond the pages of the script. Her vocal condemnation of Julia as well as her refusal to send for a doctor in what could have been Herman’s final moments illustrate the chagrin that she possessed concerning Herman’s relationship. She would rather her son die than to be found out as a so-called “nigger-lover”. And this speaks volumes. The second dramatic moment of the play occurs in the fight that Herman and Julia have the next day. It reveals the profound love that they have for one another, as well as the blame that they each place on themselves for putting the other through their difficult situation. It highlights their differences and their disagreeances, but also emphasizes their similarities and their compatibility as they both only want the best for the other.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Wedding Band. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
The image of the Wedding Band on the necklace directly applies to the title as it illustrates the love that the two have for each other, regardless of the society in which they live in. A wedding band represents the promise that spouses give to one another in the face of society, in the presence of God, of their devotion to one another. The fidelity that Herman and Julia have for one another is profound; for ten years they rejected the advances of others(Nelson to Julia, Celestine to Herman) out of love for one another.
The wedding dress further illustrates the love that stands the test of time as Julia has had the dress for a considerable amount of time, illustrated by her hope that she has not outgrown it. Her matrimony is real, regardless of whether or not they have a piece of paper to show for it.
The wedding cake that Herman made for his love for their ten year anniversary once more showcases the dedication that they have for one another. Herman is willing to confront Julia’s nosy neighbors in efforts to present it to her. This gesture, much like the wedding band that he gives to Julia, emphasizes the love and deep connection that Herman and Julia feel for one another.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Wedding Band.
Loyalty, Pride, Matrimony, Love, Protection, Dignity, Race, Family, Hope, Strength, Courage
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Wedding Band? Perhaps you might argue for several different kinds of family in this particular play. What do you think?
Family, as in familial allegiance plays a role in the play because the outward and unabashed disapproval that Herman’s family has towards his relationship alters the nature of his relationship with his family. Although he cares for them, as do they for him, the lack of acceptance that he receives from them weighs heavy on him as Julia is an important part of his life that he must shield away from them. It has caused a rift in his family as tensions, though clandestine, are still felt between his family and him. This proves a central conflict as he must ultimately reckon with whether or not he must display more loyalty to his relationship and JUlia, or his family. Family concerning race is also an issue in the play. Herman does not feel that he must have as much fidelity to his race, as the black people in the play do. From Fanny commenting that she must have a black husband, to Nelson condemning Julia for not marrying black, Julia must come to terms with the fact that her racial “family” disapproves of her relationship as well. Because of shared struggle she connect with her race on a deeper level than herman does, and therefore feels a bit beholden to them, for as much as she would hate to admit it, she doesn’t want to let them down.